Manage my usage/unwanted billing

[#1]

Hello,
I have just received an email from Plusnet "You've exceeded your usage allowance. We've added some more...". When I go to "Manage my Usage" in Member Centre, I am unable to set a maximum extra monthly spend of £0. I had already pre-set an extra monthly spend of £0 following an issue recently, since I have no qualms about a few days on a basic connection now and then if I go over of my own choice. I presume setting £0 is still a valid option in genral, and accordingly have now been charged £5 against my consent for a service I do not require and which would only last me about six days which I neither need nor want, nor was given a choice over, since Plusnet  has seen fit to charge without my say so.
I am not comfortable with being made to pay a token £5 for something I do not want or require, moreso since something similar happenedd to me last month. Can and will anyone do something about this?

[#2]

You should have received an email earlier warning you that you were approaching your allowance (I believe it is at the 80% figure)
Regarding setting the maximum usage - as you have already been charged £5 that is the minimum you can set it to until the next months allowance kicks in
If you had previously set it to zero and something unset it that is something which the reps here will look into but the usual reason it happens is that you changed product (this may only be a phone change unless you agreed a new discounted contract) and the usage monitor is set back to the default value

[#3]

Looking at the account, the data cap was increased on 22/10/15 via the member centre, it was then removed completely on 01/12/15 via the member centre.
As you had removed the data cap, extra usage was added automatically.

Quote from: Oldjim

You should have received an email earlier warning you that you were approaching your allowance (I believe it is at the 80% figure)

This email was sent through on 22/12/15.
Unfortunately as you're currently passed the usage amount you'd like to set the data cap to, this won't be possible until the usage has reset at the start of your next billing date.

[#4]

But we are still allowed to set an overspend of £0, and if I've removed extra spend add-on permission on 1/12, how do you claim the automatic privilege to override that? I've explicitly removed the consent to add £5 usage. Further, being past 10Gb is irrelevant. If you look at months in the past where i've voluntarily let my speed be throttled to dialup, I've ended up using over 1Gb at that speed, so the idea that I have to pay [despite explicitly setting something to stop that happening] is pretty outrageous. If the company wants to add things on to my account when I've clearly removed the limit, indicating I do not wish to spend extra at 10Gb, how is that any different from suddenly taking a direct debit of my entire savings without my knowing? Surely it's quite convenient that rremoving £5 hasn''t automatically set me to £0 by your system, as though there's some number that simultaneously doesn't exist yet is greater than 0.
This has happened before and been rectified, at the moment it seems as though I would save money if I were to stop my service altogether. Or I could just send plusnet my entire monetary worth? That would stop these problems too.

[#5]

Perhaps the information on the relevant page isn't clear enough and the restriction of not being able to set a lower (zero) value if you are already into an "additional payment" zone is not customer friendly.
However, removing a limit is not the same as setting a limit of zero - the former has no limit set which indicates that any amount is acceptable.
Phil

[#6]

Hi TheArbiter1985,
From looking into this further for you and seeing what is you best option moving forward would be to move on to unlimited. The reason behind this is because of the current offer we have on at the moment which is :
Unlimited Broadband - Free for 18 months on a 18month contract
Line Rental - £16.99
Weekend Calls - Included
Total - £16.99 per month for 18 months.
With this package it is cheaper than what you are currently paying and  also you do not have to worry about data usage.
To acquire this deal please call our Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 and the quote the offer above.